


Stitches

by princeunderthemountain



Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bleeding, Blood, Gen, Medical, Needles, Wounds, character dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-20
Updated: 2013-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-29 23:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/692757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princeunderthemountain/pseuds/princeunderthemountain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a failed hunting expedition in the middle of the night, Thorin returns with a bad wound, and Bilbo is the only one he trusts to stitch it properly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stitches

“Bilbo. Bilbo, wake.”  
The Hobbit felt a light hand on his arm, shaking him slightly. He was disoriented for a second, unsure of where they were, but then it flooded back into his head. Third week of travel. The wind whistled through the scraggly trees around the clearing they had settled for the night in.  
Bilbo rolled over to see Thorin kneeling over him. It was dark and the only light was from the fading fire in the middle of their camp. The area they were traveling through was not pleasant, and they still had many days before they reached Rivendell.  
“What is it?” Bilbo asked, his voice slurred with sleep.  
“I believe I might have heard a deer of some kind around the camp. We are low on provisions, so I’m going hunting. I wanted to wake you to say if I’m not back before sunrise, send a search party.”  
“Oh. Okay. Good luck.” Bilbo replied, rolling back over. 

When he woke again, the sky was a few shades lighter, but he was distracted by the sound that had woken him. A sort of muffled thundering. Something running towards their camp.  
Bilbo jerked upright and grabbed Sting, pulling it partway out of it’s sheath above his head.   
Bilbo saw movement in the trees and Thorin walked out into the clearing they were in. His clothes were disheveled and his sleeve was dark with blood. despite his staggering, he was making a lot of effort to not make noise.  
“Orc. Just one, and I killed him, but he got me before I could.” Thorin whispered with great effort when he saw Bilbo poised to attack.  
Thorin settled down next to Bilbo, his hand clamped over his sleeve. Blood was dripping onto the earth.  
Thorin, in one motion that Bilbo was sure he had practiced many times to get right, pulled off all of the clothing on his trunk in one movement. He was now only in trousers and boots, but Bilbo couldn’t help but have his eyes drawn to the wound.  
It was a clean cut, about an inch deep on his upper arm. It was bleeding profusely.  
“Oh no. Thorin...Bandages won’t do it. I need to stitch it.” Bilbo whispered, putting down  
“Ah, good. I’d hope if it came to that you would be the one.”  
“Why?” Bilbo asked, crawling out of his sleeping bag to fetch the small medical kit he carried with him.  
“I saw you repairing the hem of your coat a few days ago, and I figured you would have the neatest stitches. If you would...I’d be grateful.” Thorin grunted through clenched teeth.  
Bilbo opened the small parcel and picked up a spool of clean white thread and a delicate curved needle.  
“Are you-”  
“It’s a needle, Halfling.” Thorin said, rolling his eyes.  
Bilbo threaded the needle and positioned himself as well as he could. He moved Thorin’s hair out of the way and held the needle agains the flesh.  
“We should wash it first.” Bilbo whispered.  
“We have very little water left and our maps don’t show any rivers for the next few days. If it becomes infected, we’ll deal with it then.”  
“No. You can’t just be careless like that.”  
Bilbo placed the needle delicately on the ground and leaned over to his waterskin. To Thorin’s silent protests, Bilbo washed the would with the smallest amount of water he could manage.  
“You shouldn’t waste-”  
“You’re our leader. If we need to amputate your arm, that could put a damper on the situation.” Bilbo said, half joking.  
Bilbo threw his waterskin back down and picked up the needle, putting the tip against the same spot on Thorin’s skin.  
Bilbo looked up at Thorin with doubt, and then looked back down and stuck the needle into Thorin’s arm.  
At the first stab, Thorin’s hand spasmed uncontrollably and gripped the fabric of Bilbo’s trousers. Trembling slightly, he let go and let his hand rest on the Hobbit’s thigh for support. Bilbo knew he didn’t need to console him. Thorin was too proud for that.  
He continued with the sewing. It was an odd sensation, pushing a needle through flesh instead of fabric. Bilbo didn’t really know what he was expecting. Less resistant, but more solid.  
“Don’t tense your arm. It’ll make it bleed more.” Bilbo whispered, fixing the first suture.  
“Yes. Sorry.” Thorin said, relaxing his arm. Bilbo noticed he still let it lay on his thigh.  
He worked as quickly as he could, trying to make the stitches as even as he could in the low light. He apologized profusely through the entire ordeal, but Thorin remained silent.  
“I’m...done.” Bilbo whispered as he cut the thread and tied it, and Thorin sighed with relief.  
“What happened to ‘it’s just a needle’?”  
“Everything hurts. Just...some more than others. It’s a matter of perspective.” Thorin grunted, prodding the stitches.  
“Wait.” Bilbo said, trailing off. He got up and hopped over limbs and bags to Ori. Bilbo picked up his bag and rifled through some of the pockets, and hopped back to Thorin.  
“Let me put these on the cut.” Bilbo whispered, placing a dark blue-green leaf over the stitch. The leaf smelled clean and bright.  
“Some kind of plant we came across right at the beginning of the journey. Ori told me it has antiseptic agents in it.” Bilbo said, tying the gauze.  
“Thank you. I really do mean it.” Thorin whispered.  
“It’s okay.”  
“Would you take care not to mention this to the others?” Thorin asked.  
“Why?”  
“They wouldn’t really let me live it down. It’s a long story, but there’s a reason I don’t do much hunting.” Thorin uttered, looking down.  
“I have time.” Bilbo said, smiling softly.  
“No. You need to sleep, as do I. We’re going to be walking the entire day tomorrow.” Thorin whispered, pushing a hand into Bilbo’s chest, making him lay down.  
“Sleep well.” Bilbo whispered, pulling his blanket up to his chin.  
“You too.” Thorin replied, laying down on his sleeping mat next to Bilbo.  
Bilbo looked out over the dwarves and into the trees. How many other dangers were still out there? How could-  
Bilbo’s train of thought was interrupted by something he remembered.  
“Thorin?” He called out quietly.  
“Yes?” Thorin replied instantly.  
“You can put your clothes back on now.”


End file.
